Photos courtesy of Charla Shults
The Pampa Lady Harvesters (14-7, 0-1) opened District 4-4A play on Tuesday evening against the Canyon Lady Eagles at McNeely Fieldhouse.
It was a tough start to District for Pampa, as they fell to Canyon (18-25, 20-25, 17-25) to start 0-1.
“The girls showed hustle and fight, but our serve receive wavered at times, which made it hard to get our offense going,” Head Coach Abbey Kashwer said. “If we are in the system more and missing fewer serves, I believe that changes the outcome of the match.”
While it was a tough loss to start District, Kashwer wants the squad to remember the work they’ve put in and see the results on the court as District play continues.
“With the girls, I believe it is important to reassure them that the hard work they are putting in is paying off,” Kashwer said. “We haven’t won 14 matches this season because of luck. We need to keep doing what has been working and fine-tune some aspects of our game as a whole.”
Another first-year varsity player, Junior Olivia Owens, has seen her confidence grow on the court.
Olivia Owens digs on the ball (Photo courtesy of Charla Shults)
“This is her first year on varsity, and she is competing against other setters and hitters for a place on the floor,” Kashwer said. “As her confidence grows, so will her volleyball ability. She is a team player and wants her team to be successful.”
The Lady Harvesters return to action Saturday when they take the road to West Plains to continue District play. Game time is at noon.
“West Plains is going to be just as tough or tougher than Canyon,” Kashwer said. “We have to go into the match playing scrappy defense, looking to score on offense, and wanting to win.